I looked at him. He seemed surprisingly calm considering what just happened.

“Zander?”

“Don’t say anything yet,” he said.

He was leading me back to the hotel. I followed him through the front doors. I glanced at the desk as we passed to see if Mr. Carter was there, which he wasn’t.

We took the stairs up to the top floor. He led me to a door at the end of the hall. He unlocked the door as I asked, “Where are we going?”

“My room,” he responded and opened the door.

He pulled me into the blue colored room then closed and locked the door behind us.

I looked around and saw that his room looked very different from mine. His bed was smaller and directly underneath the window. There was a table with a television in front of a small grey sofa. There was a bookshelf in the corner opposite the bed, next to a chair and floor lamp.

Alexander let go of my arm and sat on the sofa.

“Are you okay?” I asked, sitting next to him.

“Yeah. You?” he asked.

“I think so…What happened back there?”

He hesitated, then said, “He hurt you once. I didn’t want him to hurt you again.”

“Zander…”

He looked at me.

“I never mentioned Elliot to you.”

“You didn’t have to. He acted like he owned you.”

“He doesn’t. And neither do you.” I knew I should have been thankful for his help, but Alexander interrupting me and Elliot made me frustrated for some reason.

“I didn’t say I did.”

“But you’re acting like it.”

“I was just trying to protect you.”

“I was fine. I’ve dealt with Elliot before. A few days ago, in fact.”

“…I’m sorry. I wanted to be a good friend.”

I touched his hand. “…Thank you, Zander.”

He smiled a little. “I’d do anything to keep you safe.”

I blushed a little and he smiled more. I turned my head away and started to move my hand but held onto it.

He let my hand go and stood up. “I’ll be right back,” he said. “Make yourself at home. Bathroom’s over there.” He pointed to a door to our right.

“Where are you going?” I asked, afraid that he might have been going to hunt down Elliot.

“To talk to my dad. I haven’t seen him all day.”

“Oh. Okay.”

He pet my head and smiled. “Don’t worry. I won’t get into any fights.”

I blushed and pushed his hand away. “I’m not a pet.”

“I know,” he smirked. “You’re a lot more trouble and a lot more stubborn.”

I grabbed the pillow next to me and hit him with it.

“No I’m not,” I said.

He just laughed and walked to the door and took the pillow from me. He held it out of my reach and said, “Behave yourself while I’m gone. No raiding my room for secret stuff.”

I blushed more and he smiled.

“S-shut up, stupid,” I said.

“Aw,” he said, poking my cheek. “You’re all red thinking about all the naughty things you could find.”

I pushed him out the door. “Ignoramus!” I yelled.

“Ignoramus? Nice. Twenty points for using the SAT word of the day,” he laughed.

“Go!” I said, slamming the door behind him.

“Hey, just in case you forgot this is my room, so I will be back,” he said through the door.

“Ignoramus!” I yelled again.

I heard his laughter fade away as he walled down the hall.

When it was quiet, I felt alone again. I walked around and looked at the room.

I found a few pictures of Alexander and his father. I didn’t find any of him and his friends, but I saw one of a woman holding a baby. In the bottom left corner I saw that someone had written, “Zander. 5 months.” I guessed that was his mother.

She and Alexander had the same fierce, determined eyes, but other than that, they didn’t look remotely similar.

Well…they both had the same gene for being undoubtably gorgeous, in their own ways.

I blushed at that thought. I imagined that if I’d said that last part out loud when Alexander was around, he’d mock me relentlessly.

I sat back on the sofa and turned the television on. A classical music channel was playing and it was calming.

I relaxed and thought about the events of the afternoon.

I wouldn’t have ever thought that Joslynn would end up with Elliot. Better yet, I would have NEVER thought that Elliot would want to go out with one of my ex-best friends. Not that Joslynn wasn’t really nice and pretty, but Elliot wasn’t the kind of guy that dated girls younger than him. I found out that I was the reason for that decision.

I’d overheard someone at my old school say, “He said younger girls are too needy and childish.”

Being around Elliot with Alexander there, too, made me feel safer.

It had felt like Elliot was trying to get my attention by showing off and I didn’t like that. He couldn’t possibly want me back. He hated me. He’d made that clear several times before. Yet, seeing him argue with Alexander made me…confused. Either Elliot was jealous or Alexander just insulted his pride.

Probably the pride thing.

I decided to give up worrying about it for a little while, then I yawned and laid down.

This time tomorrow I’d be on a train to start my new life. I’d be safe.

I started to fall asleep, so I vaguely remembered hearing Alexander come back into the room. I thought I heard Caramel barking in the room too.